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O. HOLMSTROM. I

REGOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN. No. 509,313. Patented Nov. '21, 1893.

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G. HOLMSTROM. REGOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN.

Patented Nov. 21

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14 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. HOLMSTROM. REGOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN.

Patented Nov. 21, 1893.

Sheet 4.

14 Sheets 0. HOLMSTROM. REGOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN.

(No Model.)

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O. HOLMSTROM. REGOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN.

No. 509,313. Patented Nov. 21, 1893.

(No Model.) 14 Sheets-Sheet 6. O. HOLMSTROM. REGOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN.

Patented Nov. 21, 1893.

Wilaasas (No Model.)

14 Sheets-Sheet 7. G. HOLMSTROM. BEGOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN.

Patented Nov. 21, 1893.

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0. HOLMSTROM. REGOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN.

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G. HOLMSTROM. REOOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN.

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REUOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN. No. 509,313. Patented Nov. 21, 1893.

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REGOIL OPERATED QUICK PIRING'GUN.

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No. 509,313. Patented-N0v.21, 1893.

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' G. HOLMSTROM. REOOIL OPERATED QUICK FIRING GUN. No. 509,313. Patented Nov. 21,1893.

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G. HOLMSTROM. REGOIL OPERATED QUIGK FIRING GUN.

No. 509,313. PatentedNov. 21, 1893. 23

14 Sheets-Sheet 14.

oARL HoLMSrRoM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, AsSIGNoR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To THE MAXIM-NORDENFELT GUNS AND AM- MUNITION COMPANY, LIMITED, OF SAME PLACE. I

RECOIL=OPERATED QUICK=FIRING GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,313, dated November 21, 1893.

Application filed December 26, 1891. Serial No. 416,107. (No model-l To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL HoL vis'rnoM, engineer, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, and a resident of London, England, haveinventedcertainnewand usefullmprovements in Automatic and Quick-Firing Guns, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to the breech mechanism of automatic and quick-firing guns. In a gun of this kind or class as heretofore constructed it is usual to utilize the extractor for locking the breech block in the loading position until a cartridge has been inserted in the gun. I have found that this method of locking is open to objection and my improvements are designed to provide mechanism which shall have a more certain and efficient locking action.

According to my invention I mount on or form upon the crank-shaft. of the breech block, preferably at one end thereof a cam. I provide also a pin or bolt which is capable of sliding in bearings in the cradle of the gun in a direction transverse to the axis of the said gunand extends into the path traversed by the aforesaid cam on the breech block crank-shaft, when the said cam moves with the gun relatively to=the cradle, in the recoil or in the running outof the gun. I pivot to the cradle of the gun a lever, one end of which is actuated by the extractor, and the other end of which is coupled, in any suitable manner to the said sliding pin or bolt. This mechanism is automatically operated to open the breech block during the running out of the gun, and, in combination with a breechactuating spring arranged for ,operating the breech-block crank-shaft as hereinafter described, will raise the breech-block to close the breech. The said mechanism will operate either automatically, upon the insertion of a cartridge into the charge chamber of the gun and its engagement with the extractor or will operate when manually released at the proper time as for instance when applied to a gun in which loose ammunition is used and wherein the action of an extractor is not available.

In automatic and quick-firing guns in wh1ch powder charges separate from-the projectile are employed, I provide an advantageous arrangement of obturator mechanism forming another important feature of my invention and hereinafter more particularly described.

My said invention comprises improvements in the breech block and the extractor whereby the extractor is operated slowly and with considerable force to start the movement of a spent cartridge from the charge chamber in which it is tightly retained owing to its expansion by the powder gases and from which it is ultimately ejected by the extractor operating in the ordinary manner.

The said invention comprises also a safety device whereby the premature release of the breech block and the jamming of a partially inserted charge in the breech is prevented.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is a side elevation of an automatic quick-firing gun adapted for fixed ammunition, constructed according to my invention and mounted on a naval carriage. Fig. 2 is a plan of the breech end of the said gun and a portion of the mounting. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the gun removed, and parts of the frame broken away to show clearly the arrangement of mechanism indicated by dotted lines in the said Fig. 2. Fig.-

3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2 showing the breech closed. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the gun and the near checkplate" of the breech-frame removed, in order to show clearly the arrangement of mechanism indicated by dotted lines in the said Fig. 3. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of the breech block which in Fig. 3'is shown in placein the breech. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of parts of the mechanism. Figs. 6,7 andSshowin plan,

side elevation and end elevation respectively a lever hereinafter referred to, for operating. the aforesaid pin or bolt. Fig. 9 is an elevation of the breech end of the'gun. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but with the rearportion of the breech and breech-block removed and with portions of the rear end of the breechframe removed, all in order to render clear the arrangement of parts which are indicated by dotted lines in the said Fig. 9. Fig. '10 is an elevation similar to Fig. 3, with the breech open. Fig. is a view similarto Fig. 10 but 5 with the rear check-plate of the breech-frame broken away, to show clearly the arrange- "ment of parts which are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 10. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the cam which is carried by the breech-block to crank-shaft. Fig. 12 is a plan of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is an end view of Fig. 11. Fig. 14 isaside elevation of the extractor. Fig. 15 is a plan of Fig. 14. Fig. 16is an end elevation of Fig. '14. Fig. 17 is a side elevation of the breech 15 of a gun to which an obturatoris applied according to my invention. Fig. 18 is a central longitudinal section of Fig. 17 and Fig. 19 is an end elevation of Fig. 17. Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the cam F hereinafter re- 20 ferred to and shows the outer side of the same, that is to say, the side of the cam which faces the cheek plate of the cradle. Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the opposite side of the cam. Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the lever L hereinafter referred to. Fig. 23 is a perspective view of the extractor as it would appear if viewed from above and a little to the rear thereof. Fig. 24 is aplan view of the bolt J hereinafter referred to. Fig. 25 is a plan view of the shaft F hereinafter referred to. Figs. 2 to 16 are all drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1 and Figs. 17, 18 and 19 are drawn to a slightly smaller scale than Figs. 2 to 16. 5 Likeletters indicate the same parts throughout the drawings. A is the gun. B is the cradle in which the gun is supported and in which it moves in the direction of its length during recoil and running out.

B B are two cheeks formed by rearward extensions of the cradle which are secured together at their rear ends by the transom B to which they are bolted. The said cradle is provided with trunnions B which rest in bearings formed in the extensions or checks 0 at the pivot about which the gun is trained.

D is a bearing within which the said pivot rotates and E is the carriage to which the said bearing is secured. The trigger and the cooking and firing mechanism of the gun may be of ary suitable kind. As they form no part of my present invention they are not hereinafter referred to.

With reference now to the breech-actuatin g mechanism F is a crank-shaft which extends across the breech below the axis of the gun and turns in bearings formed in the said breech.

A crank arm F keyed or otherwise firmly secured to the said shaft, in the partial rotation of the shaft about its axis raises or lowers the breech block G by sliding it up or down the breech frame. The walls of the breech frame and the sides of the block are formed with grooves and projections A' G which serveas guides and hearing or resisting surfaces by which the block is securely held against the breech. With reference to Fig. 25, it will be seen that the said shaft is provided with two cylindrical portions f which act as journals and rest in cylindrical bearings in the checks of the breech. It is also provided with hexagonal portions f'f' The portion f has one of its sides curved as shown and is shaped to enter a correspondingly shaped hole f in the cam F (see Figs. 20 and 21) and the portion f also has a curved side and is shaped to enter a correspondingly shaped hole in the breech-operating c"ank arm F. The shape of the said portions and the holes which they enter insures that the.

cam and the breeoh-operating lever shall be put in proper position on the shaft, and retained in that position. One end of the shaft F projects beyond the side of the breech frame and has a cam F secured upon the said projecting end. The said cam is an important feature of my present invention. A raised portion F of its face is beveled and inclined as shown. The edge of the said raised portion is shaped so that it has a plane surface at H and another plane surface H inclined to the said portion H and merging by the curve H into a recess at H I is an extension formed in one piece with the cam F and provided with a hook I for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

J is the aforesaid pin or bolt capable of sliding in its bearing in the cradle in a direction transverse to the axis of the gun. The outer end of the said pin or boltis fitted with a handle J by which it may be actuated from the outside of the cradle, and the inner end of the pin or bolt is preferably provided with an enlarged head J 2 which serves as a stop. A spiral spring K surrounds the said pin or bolt and is held between the head J thereof and a projection B forming part of the transom B The said spring exerts pressure upon the pin or bolt tending to force it toward the cam F and, with the parts in positions in which they are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3* and 9 retains the head of the pin or bolt'in contact with the face of the cam F A lever L shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 apart from the gun is pivoted at L to a bracket formed upon one of the checks of the cradle. One end L of the said lever is forked and engages with the rod J, and its opposite end L is bent inward and provided with an upwardly extending projection whichis beveled as shown in Fig. 6.

The extractor comprises a pair of arms M each projecting from a boss or collar M, the two bosses or collars being carried upon a cross shaft N which turns in bearings O in the gun. The said bosses or collars are free to rotate upon the shaft N so that either part of the extractor may act independently of the other. A claw M upon each arm engages with the rim of the cartridge when the same is placed in the gun. Inclined surfaces M are formed upon the extractor as shown.

Studs G on the breech block Gr will in the descent of the said block strike these inclined surfaces and thereby operate the extractor to eject the spent vcartridge from the gun. According to my invention 1 provide the said extractor with an arm M extended downward therefrom as shown, so that in the movement of the extractor about its pivot when the lever L has moved into a position hereinafter referred to, the end of the said arm may come into engagement with the beveled end L of the lever L and move the latter for the purpose hereinafter explained.

Projecting from. the recoil-press cylinder? of the gun is a lug Q in which a hole is bored to receive the long cylindrical nut or sleeve R which is screwed upon one end of a rod S and may pass freely through the said hole. The other end of the said rod S passes through a projection T formed upon the gun and the said rod is connected by the link S to the cam F an eye S being provided upon the said rod, for the purpose of engaging with the hook I upon the said cam. A spring U is held in compression between the nut or sleeve R and the projection T. The amount of compression put upon the said spring may be readily regulated by screwing the nut or sleeve R forward or backward upon the said rod S. If it is desired to disconnect the said link S from engagement with the extension I from the cam F in order to dismantle the gun it is only necessary to insert a tool between the shoulder S on the rod S and the projection T on the gun and to move the said rod slightly toward the rear when the eye S can be disengaged from the hook 1 By unscrewing the nut or sleeve R from the rod S the spring U may be removed and the rod S and link S withdrawn from the gun through the hole T in the projection T. Considerable force is sometimes required to extract a spent cartridge from the breech of the'gun after it has been expanded tightly thereinto by the force of the explosion. I therefore provide means whereby the said spent cartridge may be slowly started from its position of rest, the extractor beingafterward operated by the breech-block, to eject the cartridge-case smartly from the gun in the usual manner. For this purpose 1 form upon each arm M of the extractora projectionVextending into one of a pair of grooves W in the breech block G each of which is widened at its upper end and there provided with a recess W. One edge of the said groove is inclined upwardly and rearwardly as at W for a purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

I will now proceed to describe the manner. in which the said improved breech mechanism operates, assuming to commence with that the gun is loaded and that the parts occupy the'position in which they are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 9.

When the gun is fired it recoils in the cradle and carries the cam F to the rear without rotating it and moves it past the head of the bolt J which, as aforesaid, rests in bearings in the cradle in which it may move in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the gun. The spring K, which, as aforesaid, always presses the bolt J in the direction of the inner side of the cam keeps the head J of the bolt in contact with the raised portion F of the said cam. Therefore the said head moves outward in the direction in which it is impelled by the said spring K as soon as it is permitted to do so by the movement of the cam sufficiently far to the rear with the gun, that is to say, as soon as the raised portion 15 of the cam is no longer in front of the said head J By the said outward movement of the bolt its head is protruded into the path which the raised, portion E of the cam will traverse when it comes forward in the return movement or running out of the gun. During the recoil movement of the gun no rotation of the cam takes place and therefore the breech will remain closed, for the rod S, the link S and the nut R all move toward the rear with the gun, the said nut being made cylindrical so as to slide freely through the hole in the lug Q, which acts as a bearing therefor. Therefore, at the termination of the recoil movement of the gun, the parts F S, S, R and U will not have moved relatively to each other nor relatively to the gun, although they and the gun have moved to the rear in company. Moreover, any drag which may be exerted upon the cam F through the rod S during the said rearward movement, would tend to keep the breech closed. But by the protrusion of the said bolt head J as described, it is enabled to produce in the manner hereinafter explained, the rotation of the said cam as the latter returns with the gun. Movement of the pin or bolt J into its extreme position, as described, will move the lever L on its pivot L' so that the beveled portion of its end L comes into the path of the end of the downwardly extended arm M of the extractor. During the running out of the gun the cam F returning therewith brings the portion H of its edge into contact with the head J of the pin or bolt J so that by the movement of the shaft F with the gun relatively to the head J the said cam commences to rotate in the direction of the arrow (Figs. 3 and 10) and causes the breech block to descend until the breech is fully open. In the downward movement of the breech block G the inclined portion W of each groove W comes into contact with the projection V on each extractor arm, and in the further descent of the block moves the extractor arms M to the rear and causes them to start the empty case from the breech a's hereinbefore described. The breech block continues to descend and the studs G thereon, strike the inclines M on the extractor, whereupon the arms M will be jerked or moved quickly to the rear to eject the cartridge and the projection V on each arm will be brought over the recess W.

By the time that the breech is fully open the cam F willhave assumed the position indicated in Fig. 5 and the straight surface H thereof will be parallel with the direction of motion of the gun in the cradle. Consequently there will be a pause in the rotation of the cam F while the said straight or plane surface slides over the head J of the rod land the descent of the breech block G will cease. During this pause in the rotation of the cam F the breech block G is retained in its lowest position and the gun continues to run out. The maintenance of the said block in its lowest position insures that the studs G shall bear upon the inclined surfaces M of the extractor so that the lower end of the arm M which, at the moment when the breech block assumes its lowest position is to the rear of the end L of the arm L, is kept well clear of the said end 1L until the extractor arm M traveling with the gun is above the beveled portion thereof. During the period in which, as aforesaid, the breech block is kept at its lowest level While the gun continues its forward or running out movement it is impossible for any rebound of the extractor to take place, for the studs G continue to bear upon the surfaces M and should any rebound occur when the breech block rises from its lowest position into that shown in Fig. 10, the only efiect would be that the end of the arm M might strike the end L of the lever L but would not exert sufiicient force to operate it because of the resistance of the spring K to the movement of the bolt with which the opposite end of the lever is connected. The cam then moves farther forward with the gun after the straight surface H leaves the head J 2 of the pin J and the cam and shaft then begin to turn in the opposite direction and slightly raise the breech block until the cam is brought to rest in the position indicated in Fig. 10 being held in this position by the head J in opposition to the pull of the spring U. It will be obvious that during the said movement of the cam into the position indicated in Fig. 10 the movement of the cam and'consequently of the breech block will be gradual owing to the curve of the portion H of the cam. During the rotation of the cam F and the shaft F in the direction of the arrow the hook I on the extension I of the cam draws the rod S and the link S toward the rear and moves the nut R toward the projection T causing it to compress the spring U. In the slight return movement of rotation of the cam from the position indicated in Fig. 5 into the position shown in Fig. 10 the compression of the spring U is slightly relaxed but it maintains a pull upon the rod S and the link S which is sufficient to cause the cam F and shaft F to turn in a direction opposite to that of the arrow and into position to raise the breech block and close the breech if the pin or bolt J be withdrawn from contact with the edge of the cam.

The pin or bolt J may be withdrawn from engagement with the cams F by hand, by pulling the handle 5 in a direction away from the gun, or automatically by the contact of the rim of the cartridge with the claws M upon the extractor arms M which as the cartridge is pushed home into the chamber will cause the downwardly extended arm M of the extractor to descend in the vertical plane and to come into contact with the beveled end L of the lever L so as to move the said lever in the horizontal plane upon its pivot L and cause its opposite end L to move the rod J transversely in its bearings against the resistance of the spring K and thereby-withdraw the head J from the cam.

To prevent the premature release of the breech block by the accidental contact of apartially inserted charge with one ofthe two arms of the extractor the said extractor and other parts of the apparatus hereinbefore described may be arranged as follows-that is to say, each arm of the divided extractor is provided with a projection which is situated and utilized in the same manner as the projections V on the extractor hereinbefore described, and for another purpose, for which other purpose the projections upon the arms of the double extractor are in the descent of the breech block brought over the recesses W of the breech block so that should either portion of the extractor be operated byan ingoing charge and actuate the pin or bolt J to release the cam F the breech block will tend to rise owing to the action of the spring U but will be retained by the reason of the engagement of the projection on the arm of the other portion of the extractor with the wall of the recess W in the manner illustrated in Fig. 10. But as soon as the charge is properly inserted in the chamber both of-the extractor arms will be disengaged from. the breech block which by the action of the spring U will then complete its upward movement to close the breech. Thus by making the extractor in independent duplicate parts I obtain a very efficient safety device. The pin may as an alternative arrangement be controlled by two levers pivoted to the cradle like the lever L, instead of by one lever L, hereinbefore described. In such a case, the said two levers would be pivoted at opposite sides of the cradle, and each of the two would be either operated by a pair of downwardlyextending arms similar to the single arm M but suitably shaped at its lower end to operate two such levers instead of one; or I may arrange so that both of the extractor sections have a downwardly-extending arm similar to the arm M each to operate one of the said two lovers, but I prefer that there should be only one of the said downwardlyextending arms for the purpose specified.

It should be clearly understood that the cam upon the breech block crank-shaft and the transverse rod which slides in the carriage and by which the cam is engaged may be in duplicate-that is to say, one set of the mechanism with a corresponding breech-actuating spring maybe arranged on each side of the gun so that the said transversely sliding rods are actuated by any of the arrangements of extractor hereinbefore described.

Automaticand quick-firing guns have heretofore been constructed for the use of fixed ammunition,but in Figs. 17, 18 and 19 I have shown a modification of my invention designed to adapt such guns for the use of ammunition in the ordinary form in which it is used in artillery-that is to say, for the use of powder in separate cartridges or envelopes. For this purpose I provide the gun with an arm or lever X fixed on a small transverse shaft X supported in bearings in the breech frame in which the said shaft rotates. To the said arm or lever I attach an obturator X of the usual or any suitable form or type. I hinge or otherwise attach the obturator X to the said arm or lever X in such a manner that it may have a slight amount of play or free movement, in order that it may not become jammed in the chamber by reason of the angular movement of the arm or lever X. For example the obturator shown in the drawings, which is of the well-known De Bange type, has its stem provided with a cross head Y by means of which it is retained in place on the arm X the said arm being recessed at X and the bottom of the recess being slotted at X so that the cross head may first be passed throughwthe slot Xiand afterward rotated about its axis through a right angleinto a position in which the said cross-head, lying in the recess, and across and at right angles to the said slot retains the obturator upon the arm and allows it to have movement relatively thereto by sliding in the slot X. The shaft X is provided with a handle, not shown in the drawings, by which it may be turned in its bearings. The said shaft is also provided with a cam or projection Z. The arm orlever X is moved about the axis of the shaft X in order to introduce the obturator nto the chamber of the gun or to withdraw 1t therefrom and is so arranged that when the breech is closed by the obturator the said arm or lever bears against the end of the breech as shown and is held in that position by the breech block G which slides into position behind it; the said block is provided with projections G which engage with similar projections A formed in the wall of the breech frame, the said projections being preferably inclined to the end face of the breech so that as the block rises it moves forward and forces the obturator arm or lever X into close contact with the said end face. The arm or lever X may be operated by hand or by the cam or projection Z which in the recoil and running out of the gun will come into contact with stops or projections on the cradle or carriage of the gun and will operate the obturator automatically; or I connect the said arm or lever with the breech block or with the automatic or other mechanism which operates the breech block, so that when the breech block is moved for the purpose of opening or closing the breech the obturator will be automatically withdrawn from or inserted in the chamber.

'iVhen the breech block or its arm or lever and the obturator are connected, I provide for a certain amount of lost motion in the connection, in order that in the opening of the breech the block may commence to move in advance of the obturator and the said block and obturator may be operated in the reverse order in the closing of the breech.

In order that the obturator shall be always forced completely home in the charge chamber in the closing of the breech I bevel one of ,the edges G of the breech block G so that unless the obturator is inits proper. position, with the arm or lever X lying in close contact with the end of the breech the said beveled edge will strike the said arm or lever and force it into place, causing it to bear against the'end of the breech in which position it is held by the breech block aforesaid as shown in Fig. 13.

The improvements hereinbefore described are applicable not only to an automatic or quick-firing gun which slides in a trunnioned cradle, but are applicable also to an automatic or quick-firing gun trunnioned in a cradle which travels in slides.

I claim- 1. In ordnance the combination of the gun A, the breech-block crank-shaft F turning in hearings in the gun, the cam F secured upon the breech-block crank-shaft, the cradle B, the pin or bolt J in bearings in the cradle, and the spring K, substantially as set forth for the purposes specified.

2. In ordnance the combination of the gun A, the breech-block crank-shaft F turningin bearings in the gun, the cam F secured upon the breech-block crank-shaft, the spring U connected to the breech-block crank-shaft and bearing on the gun, the cradle B, the pin or bolt J in bearings in the cradle and the spring K, substantially as set forth for the purposes specified.

3. In ordnance the combination of the gun A, the breech-block, the breech-block crankshaft F turning in bearings in the gun, the cam F secured upon the breech-block crankshaft, the spring U connected to the breechblock' crank-shaft and bearing on the gun, the cradle B, the pin or bolt J in bearings in the cradle, the spring K, the lever L, the extractor M with an extension M and cam surfaces l\/ 4 thereon, substantially as set forth, for the purposes specified.

4. In ordnance the combination of the gun A, the breech-block G provided with grooves having the cam surfaces W therein, the pivoted extractor M having projections V thereon extending into the cam grooves in the breech-block, as set forth.

5. In ordnance the combination of the gun having cam surfaces 7 therein, the recesses W in the cam grooves, the pivoted extractor M and the projections V on the same entering and engaging with the cam grooves of the breech-block, as set forth.

6. In a gun of the kind described the CODlbination of the lug or projection Q on the recoil-press cylinder, the long nut or screwthreaded sleeve R passing through the same, the rod S secured to the sleeve R, the link S, the breech-block crank-shaft F connected to rod S by the link S, the cam F the hook I on the cam, the bolt J operated in conjunction with the cam anda spring U compressed or compressible between the lug Q and the sleeve R; as set forth.

7. In ordnance the combination of the gun A, the breech-block crank-shaft F turningin hearings in the gun, the pin or bolt J in bearings in the cradle, the spring K, the cam F? secured upon the breech-block crank-shaft and having upon its face a raised and beveled portion F provided with a plane sur face H, another plane surface H inclined to the surface H, the curve H and the recess H said recess being connected with the surface H by the curve H to cause the easy starting and stoppage of the shaft F in two angular movements with a pause between them, substantially as set forth for the purpose specified.

In testimonywhereofl have hereunto signed my name, this 1st day of December, 1891, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' CARL HOLMSTROM. V Witnesses:

WM. JNo. TENNANT, 45 Southampton Buildings, W C.

F. WHITALL, 14E Garfield Rd., S. W. 

